Cochin Shipyard in Talks With Foreign Firms for LNG Carriers

Indian state owned Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) is in talks with global players to join hands for a bid for the GAIL contract for LNG contained vessels, Business Standard newspaper reported Saturday.

Gail India issued a tender last week to hire nine ships to transport LNG from the US.  The company wants to hire newly built ships to transport up to 5.8 million tons per annum of LNG it had contracted in the US.

The bidders will be required to quote for lots of three vessels, with a provision that under each lot, one of the ships shall be built in an Indian shipyard,, according to the tender.

According to Business Standard, currently, Shipping Corporation of India is the only Indian ship owner fulfilling all requirements of the tender.

Preliminary technology talks are on between CSL and French engineering firm Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), said the newspaper. The shipyard is also in discussion with Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Private shipyards Larsen & Toubro Shipbuilding and Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering are also known to be interested in securing the contract, Business Standard reported.